Pokémon ONE
by WhyBuffet
Summary: Legendary Pokémon are disappearing everywhere... Mysterious gaps in space and time are spreading rapidly... Who or what is to blame? The only clue to this mystery lies in ONE...
1. A Cave Without a King

"..!"

"Oops, sorry mister!" a young boy called out.

Red got to his feet and brushed off his pants, his eyes following the cyclist who had knocked him over. The boy and his bike were halfway across Nugget Bridge by now, and the angry shouts of the shunted trainers on the bridge could be heard in the distance. Red adjusted his cap and continued to the Pokémon Center.

"Thank you! Your Pokémon are fighting fit!" the nurse was saying to Red a few minutes later. "We hope to see you again!"

Red took back his Poké Balls and placed them in his bag. He tipped his hat to the nurse, turned away from the counter, and looked around the lobby of the Pokémon Center. The building was full of people today; groups of friends sitting at tables deep in discussion, excited Trainers huddled together in the corner trading Pokémon, there was even an old man in a top hat to Red's left, standing benignly by the counter.

Red scanned the room one last time, but could not find who he was looking for. Unperturbed, he crossed the lobby to the last free table in the Pokémon Center, and took a seat. The two people at the table directly behind Red continued on with their animated conversation as Red reached into his bag. Moment's later, Red had retrieved a small piece of slightly crumpled paper from the confines of his bag. He unfolded the paper several times and re-read the message written in rushed, slanted handwriting:

"Yo Red,

I need you to meet me in Cerulean City as soon as you can.  
Apparently there's something big going down there, and Gramps said I should go check it out.  
He also said it would be a good idea to ask you along. Something about having "as many reliable and strong Trainers as possible to investigate this incident."  
Personally, I think I'm strong enough for the both of us, but Gramps insisted, so I'll say again: meet me in Cerulean City pronto.

Smell ya later,  
Green"

Red folded the letter closed and turned his head to look around the lobby again. As packed as the Pokémon Center was today, there would be no mistaking it if Green were among the people in the crowd. Red leaned back in his chair and tilted his hat over his closed, tired eyes. The logical place to meet up in Cerulean City would certainly be the Pokémon Center, wouldn't it? Yet Green was nowhere to be found. So where else could he be in the city? The bike shop? Somehow, Red doubted this. A bike shop seemed to be beneath Green. He probably wouldn't have bothered visiting such a place, not enough strong Trainers gathered in a shop full of bicycles...

Red opened his eyes. An idea had struck him. What building in any town or city housed the strongest Trainers in the area? A Pokémon Gym of course, and knowing Green, the first place he would have gone to kill time while waiting around for Red would have been to try and squeeze in a rematch or two with the local Gym Leader. What's more, Green could have gone to enlist the Gym Leader's help in whatever task Professor Oak needed the boys to investigate. Knowing Green as Red did, the latter seemed very unlikely, but the former remained quite plausible. It seemed as though the Cerulean Gym would be the next worthwhile place to look for Green...

"WELL THEN LET'S GO!" came a shout from behind Red, followed by the crash of a chair hitting the floor.

Red was startled out of his reverie, and several other people in the vicinity looked round at the source of the commotion. One of the patrons sitting at the table behind Red was standing with his arms over his head, his chair several feet behind him. The young man had clearly just jumped up in exuberance, but when he looked around at everyone staring, he immediately turned a deep shade of scarlet and took the seat directly beside the one he had just sent flying, his shoulders hunched in embarrassment.

The rest of the Pokémon Center occupants shrugged their shoulders and continued on with their business. Red took a breath and shot a backwards glance towards the two people at the table behind him, listening to their conversation.

"...now that you're done making a fool of yourself," said an irritated voice, "Can we just drop it?"

"Why do you want to drop it?" came a second, more sheepish-sounding voice. "If what you're saying is true, then we need to go _right now_ and capitalize on this opportunity!"

"You're still not listening Todd," the first voice said, sounding even more exasperated than before. "Just because things have gotten _marginally_ less tough around there doesn't mean a novice like you will suddenly stand a chance."

The young man named Todd sounded slightly hurt, but less embarrassed and more defiant this time. "I'm a lot better than you give me credit for, Alex. Raticate and I have been through a lot..."

"I'm not doubting your heart," the one named Alex interrupted, but with a bit more compassion in his tone, "but guts alone will _not_ sustain you in that place. It's pure treachery in there!"

"Look," Todd said, and it sounded as though he had regained his composure completely after his embarrassing incident, "Usually that place is off-limits to everyone but the strongest of Trainers, because it's 'too dangerous.' But according to the rumours, it's gotten much less scary in there as of late."

"Just because it's gotten 'less scary' doesn't mean they're going to let _everyone_ who wants a piece of the action inside."

I know that. But..." Todd's voice grew quieter, and Red strained his ears to listen. "What it _does_ mean is that more and more people are going to go to the cave, thinking that they've got what it takes to enter..."

"You mean like you're doing?" said Alex.

"...which means," continued Todd, as though he had not been interrupted, "that it will be a lot easier to sneak past whoever is guarding the entrance, and I can finally get some good quality training in, maybe even catch a few strong Pokémon myself."

Alex heaved a sigh, and when he spoke, his voice sounded understanding. "Look, I know it's difficult to find good training spots around here, but I still think it's just too dangerous in there, no matter how tame people _think_ it's become lately. Maybe we can go to the Power Plant instead..."

Red heard Todd's chair fall backwards a second time. The quiet murmur of people's conversations died down as they again looked to the source of the noise. "Maybe _you're_ too scared to go in there, " Todd said angrily, without a trace of embarrassment in his voice this time, "But that doesn't mean that I am! I'm going, with or without you!"

"Todd, wait!" Alex called, as Todd ran through the lobby and out the Pokémon Center doors. Alex hurried out of his seat in pursuit, and Red got up slowly and followed. The Pokémon Center doors slid open as Red approached them, and as he exited the building Red looked to his right, just in time to see Alex turn the corner and disappear out of sight. Red didn't bother running after them at full speed, for he had a pretty good idea where the two young men were heading, as well as a pretty good idea of where Green was waiting for him.

Red made his way north along Nugget Bridge. A Bug Catcher on the bridge opened his mouth to speak as Red approached, but when the Bug Catcher got a closer look at his would-be opponent, he quickly closed his mouth and looked off into the distance. He remembered the thrashing he had received from this Trainer in the past, and was not eager to relive the experience. The rest of the Trainers on Nugget Bridge seemed to possess similar sentiments, as none of them accosted Red on his way to Route 25.

Once he had cleared the bridge, Red took a hard left and stopped by the water's edge. He reached into his bag and took out a single Poké Ball. Red threw it out towards the open water, where it immediately released the Pokémon within: a large Pokémon with a hardened shell and a long, graceful blue neck. The Poké Ball went sailing back into Red's hands as Lapras swam towards him. Climbing aboard the Transport Pokémon's shell, Red gave Lapras an appreciative stroke on its head as the two of them headed back down south across the water.

After a time, Red could see dry land again. He hopped off Lapras' back as they reached the shore, and returned the Pokémon to its Poké Ball. Red then made his way to the entrance of Cerulean Cave, a place so dangerous that the Pokémon League itself had taken control of the cave in order to protect greenhorn Trainers from the terrors within. Normally, the entrance to the cave was quite deserted, save for the guard who constantly stood watch. Today however, Red had to squeeze his way through a mass of bold and excited Trainers, all vying for a chance to gain admittance into the Unknown Dungeon.

Red negotiated his way through the crowd of people, until he made it to a small clearing directly in front of the cave's entrance. A guard flanked by two Machamp stood blocking the entrance, with several Machoke standing between the crowd of people and the clearing, acting as a barricade of sorts. Many people were shouting for the Machoke to move, or else attempting in vain to push past the Fighting-type Pokémon. Red himself was stopped by one of the Superpower Pokémon, when the guard called out from behind:

"Machoke, let that one through!"

Many angry voices protested to this preferential treatment. As Machoke moved aside to let Red pass, a voice called out "No fair!" Red turned and saw the young boy who had knocked him over earlier, a pronounced grimace on his face. The boy's bike was nowhere in sight, and neither (Red remarked) were Todd, Alex, or Green.

The guard gave a weary smile as Red approached him. "Been like this for days," he said, gesturing towards the mob. "All it takes is for one Trainer to start a rumour about this cave, and then everyone goes crazy." The guard sounded slightly bitter, as though it was Red himself who had started the rumour. When Red neither confirmed or denied this, but merely stood in silence, the guard relented slightly. "To be fair, if I were in _their_ shoes and heard that this cave was suddenly a lot less tough, I'd probably consider taking a crack at it myself. What people fail to realize though is that 'less tough' or not, this place is still highly dangerous." The guard gestured towards the Machamp on either side of him. "That's why the Pokémon League decided to crack down on security. They don't want to take any risks with public safety. If you ask me, they should just close the cave to the public entirely until these rumours die down, but I suppose that would mean that qualified Trainers would miss out, and the League doesn't want to punish them. Not that many of them take advantage of the cave to begin with, mind, but it's the principle of the matter. Although," the guard said, who seemed to be talking more to himself than to Red at this point, "another Hall of Famer such as yourself went into the cave just today!" Red raised his eyebrows slightly. "In fact," the guard continued, "I never saw him come out, so he should still be in the cave now! You two aren't meeting up in there, are you?"

Red didn't answer, but continued to stand in silence. The guard must have taken this as a 'yes,' because after a few moments he and his Machamp stood aside and allowed Red to enter. Red tipped his hat to the guard and walked into the cave. The sounds of the incensed crowd began to fade the deeper Red went into the cave, and soon Red could hear nothing but the sounds of his own echoing footsteps, the dripping of water off stalactites, and the faint cries of Pokémon deep within the cave. Red began to make his way from memory to a place where he'd been before, where he'd experienced one of the toughest battles of his life with a dangerous Pokémon...

With a bag full of Repels, it didn't take Red long to reach the innermost chamber of the cave. He found himself at a staircase and began to ascend, preparing himself for a difficult fight on the platform above. Red made it to the top of the plateau, his first Pokémon already chosen for battle, its Poké Ball clutched tightly in his hand. He was about to send it out for battle when...

"Took you long enough!"

Red froze mid-throw and took a closer look at his opponent. Where he had expected to see an intimidating Pokémon bearing down on him, he instead was met with a tall boy with spiky hair. Green had a smug look on his face and was eyeing Red with a look of intrigue.

"You weren't planning on catching me, were you?" said Green, shrugging and shaking his head. "I'm afraid that even if you _did_ succeed, you wouldn't have the qualifications to command a Pokémon as strong as me anyway!"

Green laughed as Red lowered his Poké Ball. He stood mute until Green's laughter was replaced with a frown.

"Don't you go giving me the silent treatment again," he said, his frown growing more pronounced. "I waited for you in Cerulean City for as long as I could, but as always, you're several steps behind me and were just taking too long! So, I came here early to investigate. I figured, if you were worthy enough to help me out with this in the first place, you'd be able to find me eventually."

Red continued to say nothing. Green gave an audible, dramatic sigh. "Well, whatever. You came to this specific area of Cerulean Cave, which means you're smart enough to know what we're looking for, but as you can see..." Green gestured around the outcropping of rock, which was empty except for himself and Red standing on it, " _it_ is nowhere to be found. Did you happen to battle it on your way here?"

Red shook his head.

"I see," Green said quietly. "I can only conclude then that _that_ Pokémon has left Cerulean Cave, which would explain the rumours of why this cave is suddenly much less challenging to Trainers. The only question is, if it's not taking up residence in this cave, then where is Mewtwo calling home now?"

Red said nothing, and for the first time, Green said nothing in return. Both boys reached into theirs bags silently, lost in their own thoughts and theories, and each pulled out a length of rope. Red and Green activated their Escape Ropes and, after spinning on the spot for several seconds, soon exited the cave. Down on the water-soaked floor where the boys had previously stood, a small crack appeared, its white light illuminating the former nest of the Genetic Pokémon.


	2. Time Heals all Wounds

It was a cold, starless night. The clouds overhead covered the sky like an oppressive blanket, denying light the freedom to shine down onto the frosted earth below. Wind currents began to make their way to the south, persuading the clouds to move ever so slightly. Gradually, moonbeams began to leak out from behind the cloudy canopy, until at last the ground below was illuminated by a soft, silver light.

Though the moonlight had succeeded in permeating the clouds, it would fail to make it though the dense foliage just west of Azalea Town. The tress that made up Ilex Forest grew so close together that they plunged the entire area into a state of perpetual darkness.

A figure was running through the forest, filled with apprehension. Though it was pitch black, the figure made no signs of slowing down; on the contrary, the darkness seemed to encourage the figure to move faster and more recklessly, as though any hesitation would break the figure's spirit and cause it to give up its journey entirely. For what seemed like hours the figure cut noisily through the undergrowth, disturbing the nocturnal habitats of Pokémon as it went. A wild Venonat jumped out of the way to avoid being trampled, buzzing and screeching angrily in the figure's wake.

On and on the figure went, blasting through the forest, until quite suddenly it stopped. An infinitesimally small patch of light was shining just up ahead. The figure resumed its pilgrimage in the direction of the light, though now it was moving incredibly cautiously and slowly. The trees began to thin slightly as the figure approached a clearing. A small circle of moonlit sky could be seen through a hole in the foliage, and in the middle of the clearing sat a rickety old shrine.

The figure stopped at the threshold of the clearing, still obscured by the forest's darkness. The silhouette of its head moved from side to side, as though it was inspecting the clearing for any signs of intruders. When nothing shifted or stirred for several minutes, the figure moved into the moonlit clearing.

The light of the moon fell upon a young man, whose face wore a mixed expression of determination and trepidation. He began to walk slowly towards the small shrine, his shoulder-length red hair billowing behind him in the slight breeze of the forest clearing. When he was within arm's reach of the shrine, he stopped, staring intently at the structure before him; it was a finely crafted wooden structure with a small amount of space in the middle, enough space to lay down small offerings, or perhaps enough space for a small Pokémon to reside within...

Minutes passed and nothing happened. The young man neither moved nor spoke. The only sound that could be heard was the loud rustling of the trees in the wind. The young man closed his eyes. The minutes continued to pass without consequence, and the young man's composure finally began to slip. He frowned slightly, his eyes snapping open. He knelt down next to the shrine, running his hand along the empty space inside.

"I knew this would be a waste of time..." he muttered.

Behind him, a twig snapped. Incredibly startled but poised for battle, the young man jumped up, heart in his throat and Poké Ball in his hand. He stood aiming the ball at the source of the noise, which had come from the darkness directly behind him.

"Who's there?" the young man demanded.

There was a soft thud of metal on grass, a moment of silence, then a wizened voice called out from the darkness, "Hold your fire, hold your fire!"

The young man was slightly taken aback by the sound of such an old voice. He lowered his arm slightly and said in a harsh voice, "Show yourself! NOW!"

There was a rustling of leaves, then an elderly man emerged from the shadows with his hands over his head. He wore traditional-looking clothing, and his white hair came down straight behind his head to his shoulders.

"Relax there, sonny," the old man said calmly. "I'm not meaning ya any harm."

The young man took in the old man's appearance, and concluded this to be the truth. He lowered his arm completely, then turned back towards the shrine without apology.

The old man sighed in relief and lowered his arms, cricking his neck as he did. "Good thing, too," he said to himself, as he turned round towards the undergrowth to retrieve what he'd dropped. "These old bones can't stay held up for very long."

The old man straightened up, now holding a medium-sized mallet in his hands. He took a few steps towards the red-haired youth, eyeing him curiously.

"Well now, I'm surprised to find anyone else this far into forest so late at night!" the old man said to the boy's back. "You mind telling me what you're doing here so late, sonny?"

The young man said nothing. There was silence for several more seconds.

WHACK.

The old man had brought his mallet down on the boy's head. The red-haired youth spun round, enraged. "HEY! What do you think you're - "

WHACK.

The old man brought the mallet down on the boy's head a second time. The boy stopped talking immediately.

"Don't you be obstinate with me, boy," the old man said grumpily, as the boy stood rubbing the welt on his head. "Now, let's try this again, shall we? My name is Kurt... and you are?"

The boy said nothing. Kurt raised his mallet a third time, and the boy flinched. "Silver," he said, a little more loudly than he meant to do. "My name is Silver."

Silver grimaced and redirected his gaze at the ground. Kurt lowered his mallet and smiled.

"Pleased to meet you, Silver," Kurt said politely, gripping the mallet head like a walking stick and walking towards Silver. Silver didn't flinch as Kurt approached, but eyed the mallet apprehensively, his grimace still firmly cemented on his face.

"You didn't have to smash me over the head with that thing, _old man..._ "

"...and you didn't need to bark orders at me, _young boy_ ," Kurt interrupted, "you nearly scared what little life I've got left out of me!"

Silver looked slightly sheepish, but his grimace remained. "You scared me _too_ , you know," he said defensively. "I wasn't expecting anyone else to come this far into the forest so late at night."

"Ah, well, perhaps I too acted a tad rashly out of surprise," Kurt admitted. "I'm sorry for the battering I gave ya."

Silver's grimace softened slightly, but he quickly replaced it and turned round to look at the shrine again. "Whatever, it's fine," he mumbled. "I'm over it already."

Kurt nodded and continued towards Silver, coming to stand beside him. He looked forward at the shrine, just as Silver was doing.

"So..." Kurt asked, "Don't tell me you came all this way just to stare at a mouldy old pile of wood? What are you doing in the heart of Ilex Forest, in the dead of night?"

Silver continued to say nothing. Kurt gave a look of feigned resignation and turned away from Silver, taking a few steps towards the trees.

"Very well then. I guess I'll just go back home, and make my offering to Celebi another time..."

There was a sharp intake of breath from Silver's direction. Kurt smirked and turned back to face the boy, who remained staring at the shrine.

"I just..." Silver said through gritted teeth, "I just thought that if I could meet this fabled Pokémon, it might be able to take me back... Then I could tell him..."

"Ah, I see," Kurt said with genuine understanding. "There's someone from your past whom you miss dearly, with whom you want to make amends?"

Silver turned towards Kurt, an expression of deep loathing on his face. "Make amends?" he spat. "I have no intention of 'making amends' with that man. He made his choice when up and left all those years ago. He thought that he needed other people to be strong, that he needed to be surrounded by subordinates in order to be powerful. But I knew he was a fool. I knew that you should never rely on hundreds of followers, you should just rely on yourself. I vowed that I would never end up like him. I would make my own path, create my _own_ strength. All this time I've made it on my own, doing things my way, together with my Pokémon..."

"Well then, you're not truly alone, are you?" Kurt said, eyeing Silver intently. "Not if you've got your Pokémon with you."

Silver turned back towards the shrine, glancing down at the Poké Ball still clutched in his hand. "My Pokémon... are strong like me..." he said softly, showing a small smile for the first time. "We complement each other perfectly..." Silver's frown returned, and he looked at Kurt. "What I can't stand is weak people and weak Pokémon, the weak relying on the weak. That's what _he_ did. He put his faith in weaklings, and became one himself."

"If you detest this person so much," Kurt asked solemnly, "Why is it so important to you to see him again?"

Silver grimaced harder than he had all night. He closed his eyes and once again turned towards the shrine, summoning the strength to speak.

"Years ago, my old man disappeared without a trace. He said that he needed to be alone, so that he could create a stronger organization. I _tried_ to convince him that all you need is yourself, that you don't _need_ to rely on others. But I was young and inexperienced, and he dismissed me. Now..." Silver clutched his Poké Ball tighter, "I'm stronger than my old man ever was, all because I relied on my own strength. If I could just go back and tell him, _show_ him that I was right, maybe..." Silver swallowed hard and closed his eyes, "maybe then he wouldn't have left..."

The wind continued to rustle the leaves on the forest trees. Kurt averted his eyes respectfully as Silver wiped his nose on the edge of his sleeve. When Silver had rearranged his face into a grimace once again and resumed his stony silence in front of the shrine, Kurt made his way back over to the boy.

"I don't know your old man," Kurt said reassuringly, "but I think if you were given the chance, you'd do fine job convincing him."

"Thanks," Silver muttered, his expression unchanged. Kurt was slightly taken aback by this sudden display of gratitude, but he closed his eyes and smiled. The smile was short-lived however, as Kurt sighed and said, "I'm afraid that you probably _won't_ be given that chance, though."

Silver shot Kurt a puzzled look, as the old man reached into his breast pocket. "That's what _I'm_ doing out here," Kurt said, ruffling around in his pocket. "At least, that's what I'm _trying_ to do: get Celebi back."

Kurt brought his hand back out of his pocket. In it he held a strange Poké Ball; the usual red-and-white exterior was replaced with a gold-and-silver decor. Kurt placed his mallet down and knelt in front of the shrine, holding the GS Ball in both hands. "I've noticed that Ilex Forest has been restless for quite some time," he told Silver as he descended. "More than likely, it's because something has happened to the forest guardian, Celebi. I've heard rumours that a GS Ball such as this one will quell the restlessness..." He placed the GS Ball in the small opening of the shrine and waited, with Silver standing over him. Several seconds came and went, but nothing happened.

"Darn," Kurt sighed, getting to his feet and picking up the GS Ball and his mallet.

"So what does that mean?" Silver asked. "Does it mean that Celebi isn't here anymore?"

"Could be," Kurt said, frowning, "but it could be a whole host of other things. Could be that the GS Ball knock-off I made isn't up to Celebi's standards. Could even be that the restlessness is all in my head, and Celebi is just a myth after all..." He gave another sign and patted Silver on the arm, then started to make his way out of the clearing. "Don't stay here too much longer," he told Silver paternally. "You'll catch a dreadful cold if you do, and you'll be house-ridden for days... Like I was when I fell down that well!"

Kurt laughed at his own joke, unaware of the irony that the men who caused him said injury were some of the very men who were once employed by Silver's father years ago.

Silver did not respond, but rather continued to stand mutely by the shrine.

Kurt's laughter subsided. "Anyway, you're free to do what you will. As for me, I'm going to take a crack at making another GS Ball, see if that fixes the problem. Maybe next time I'll make a 'Hi-Gloss, Super-Special' Ball..?"

Kurt continued to mutter to himself as he exited the clearing. After a few minutes, his voice died down entirely, and Silver was once again left alone with nothing but the sound of the wind. Eventually, Silver followed suit and walked out of the clearing, leaving the shrine standing innocently in his wake.

The silence in the heart of Ilex Forest was absolute once more. Small, glistening cracks of white light started to make their way up the sides of the shrine.


	3. The Lamentation of Sky Pillar

The salty sea breeze blew through the young's man hair, giving it a more windswept appearance than it already possessed. His eyes stared intently ahead; the silhouettes of roofs and houses were beginning to take shape in front of him. At this point, the breeze began to get stronger. The young man wondered if the calm waters would soon be turning into tumultuous seas, until he realized that it was not the wind that was picking up speed, but rather the Pokémon on which he sat. The young man looked down at the mass of rock and iron that was his transport, and gave a sympathetic smile.

"You must be getting tired, Aggron," the young man said soothingly. "Pacifidlog is just up ahead. We'll rest there. You've earned it."

The mass called Aggron gave a soft, metallic roar, and continued to swim faster still. It wasn't long before Aggron and its passenger made it to their destination: an outcropping of large rafts, strung together by floating logs which connected the rafts like walkways. Sitting on these rafts were numerous buildings, including (on the innermost raft) a Pokémon Center. The young man dismounted Aggron and climbed aboard a raft, being careful not to slip on the sea-sprayed wood. The young man knelt down and peered through the cracks in the raft: he could barely discern dozens of pink masses huddled together directly underneath the waves.

"Them be the Corsola that keep our town afloat," said a man's voice. The young man looked up. A balding man with a friendly face was walking towards the spot where he was kneeling. The young man straightened up to greet the newcomer properly, and as he did the balding man got a better look at him.

"Why, Mister Stone!" the balding man said, taken aback. "I didn't realize it was you!"

"Please," the young man corrected, "Call me Steven."

"Fair enough, fair enough!" the bald man exclaimed happily. He shot a glance at the Aggron treading water directly behind Steven, and his joviality faltered slightly. "Er, pardon me for saying so, Mister Steven sir," he muttered apologetically, "But that there Aggron of yours is _much_ too big to be stomping around our fragile little town..."

Steven looked back at the Iron Armor Pokémon. "Of course, of course..." he said softly, reaching into his pocket for a Poké Ball. He aimed the ball at his Pokémon. "Come back Aggron, you've earned a good rest." he said kindly, and Aggron smiled appreciatively for a few seconds before materializing into the Poké Ball, back to its Trainer.

Steven stared down at the Poké Ball clutched in his hand. The bald man eyed him a bit nervously. "I-I'm sorry about that," he said, uncertain of how Steven would react. "It's just a matter of Pacifidlog Town safety, is all."

"These Corsola," Steven said, who did not seem to be listening to the man, but instead knelt back down to observe the Corsola. "They are fascinating Pokémon. They are Rock-types, yet they thrive exceptionally well in aquatic areas, despite Rock-types' natural weakness to Water. What's more, they allow humans to construct vast and complex structures atop their colonies, even when their habitats make life dangerous for them."

The bald man cleared his throat. "Well now, I don't think the Corsola have it so rough in these here southern seas, or any _other_ part of Hoenn for that matter."

Steven turned his attention away from the water and looked directly at the man. "True," he said. "But I've heard rumours of other structures built on the backs of Corsola, in distant regions where natural predators to the Pokémon are plenty."

"Well I wouldn't know anything about that," the bald man said nervously, still unsure of how to feel about Steven's behaviour. "Though as a former Champion, I suppose you've done a great deal of traveling, seen a right amount of wonders, eh?

Steven closed his eyes and smiled. "Yes, I suppose you're right." he said. The bald man gave a small sigh and relaxed a bit. Steven proceeded down the log-like pathways towards the centre of town, and the bald man followed in his wake.

"Speaking of traveling to far and exotic lands," the bald man continued as they walked, "What brings you to our humble little town, hmm? That there Corsola colony be fascinating enough I suppose, but outside of them we've only got fishing and deep-sea diving to pass the time, and I thought you were more of a _spelunking_ man yourself..."

Steven gave a small laugh. "You are absolutely correct," he said. "In fact, that's what I've been doing around this area, Surfing around looking for a cave."

"That explains why you'd come to Pacifidlog atop that mighty metal Aggron of yours as opposed to simply Flying here," the bald man said, as the two of them approached the Pokémon Center. "But I have to tell you Mister Steven sir, you're Howling up the wrong tree. There are no caves around Pacifidlog Town."

Steven stopped walking and turned towards the man. "Oh?" he said, frowning slightly. "I was under the impression that there _was_ a cave around Pacifidlog, a cave that contains the key to unlocking several mysteries."

The bald man shook his head and gave a sympathetic sigh. "I'm afraid you've been taken in, Mister Steven sir," he said gently, "and believe you me, you haven't been the first one, and you _won't_ be the last."

Steven gave the bald man a puzzled look. The man chuckled in a slightly patronizing way and continued.

"For generations, there have been rumours of a mysterious underwater chamber that contains long-forgotten inscriptions, inscriptions that can lead a person to fabled titans of immense power. But that's just what they are, Mister Steven sir. Fables. Legends. Bedtime stories that Pacifidlog parents have been telling their children for years. Nobody takes them serious. Nobody but the crazy old coot who lives near the edge of town, mind. He's always going on about "legendary chambers" this and "imaginary isles" that. Drives the townsfolk absolutely crazy..."

"My apologies," Steven interrupted, "but did you say he lives at the edge of town?"

The bald man looked slightly taken aback. "Er, yes," he stammered, pointing down a log path heading south, "he lives down that way. But Mister Steven sir, you can't _possibly_ think that..."

"Thank you," Steven said, inclining his head and setting out along the log path, leaving the bald man looking flabbergasted.

As Steven progressed down the path towards his destination, he noticed that the logs leading there were not as well-kept as the others in town, with algae and seaweed building up in several areas. It seemed as though not that many people bothered to come down this way. Finally Steven reached the house at the edge of town. It too showed signs of neglect and oceanic wear. Steven approached the door and knocked.

"Come in, come in..." he heard a croaky voice say from within.

Steven opened the door and proceeded inside. An elderly man with a long, white beard sat staring out the window facing towards the seas of Route 130, fidgeting slightly.

"I don't see Mirage Island today..." he muttered quietly to himself, wringing his hands as he spoke.

"Excuse me, sir?" Steven said gently. The old man turned his head to look at Steven, as though noticing him for the first time.

"Oh!" the old man exclaimed with a croak. "I didn't hear you come in, m'boy! I was too busy looking for Mirage Island, which unfortunately I have not seen today. Please, please, have a seat!"

"Thank you," Steven said, pulling up a chair.

"Now, what brings you to my humble abode?" the old man asked. He seemed quite distracted, his eyes darting all around Steven's face. "Have you come to search for Mirage Island with me? I'll warn you, I haven't seen it today."

"Unfortunately, I have not," said Steven, who seemed unperturbed by the man's eccentric behaviour.

"Just as well," the old man sighed, "I haven't seen it today."

"Actually," Steven continued, "I was wondering if you could tell me about the Sealed Chamber."

At these words, the old man ceased fidgeting. His eyes stopped darting around and instead met Steven's eyes, lighting up as though a fire had been lit behind them. "Ah, a young explorer I take it, hmm?" he said, his creaky voice replaced with one of controlled calm. "Interested in the golems of ice, rock, and steel, are you?"

This time, it was Steven's eyes that lit up. "Yes," he said quietly, "very much so."

"Well, I'm afraid I just haven't seen it," the old man wheezed, resuming his fidgeting and turning back to the window. "Mirage Island, I mean. I haven't seen it, not at all.."

Steven stared at the man for several seconds, then closed his eyes and smiled a sad, understanding smile. "Thank you for your time, sir," he said kindly, rising from his chair. The old man did not look away from the window as Steven crossed the room and proceeded to the door. Steven reached out for the handle and gave one last backwards glance. "Good luck with your search for Mirage Island," he said quietly. "I hope you see it one day."

"I _did_ see something," the man's voice said, in the same calm tone as before. "The other night."

Steven turned around. The old man was facing Steven again, with that fire behind his eyes once more. "Except it wasn't Mirage Island I saw. It was... lights."

"Lights?" repeated Steven.

"Yes, lights in the sky. Great flashes of light, like explosions. They were coming from..."

The man trailed off. For the first time since coming to Pacifidlog, Steven had a slightly worried expression on his face. He took a few steps closer to the man and asked, hoping his hunch was incorrect, "Where did you see the lights?"

The man looked directly into Steven's worried eyes. "Just a little way's past Route 131."

* * *

It didn't take Steven long to arrive at his new destination. His trusted Skarmory took him to the base of the tower in what seemed like an instant, and soon Steven was making the somewhat dangerous journey up the forlorn tower. He didn't stop for anything as he quickly made his way to the top, and when Steven finally reached the highest point of the tower, he had difficulties catching his breathe in the thin atmosphere of Sky Pillar.

"I'm afraid you're a little late," said an eloquent voice from the platform above.

Steven recognized this voice. He ascended a small set of stairs to the absolute pinnacle of Sky Pillar, and saw a tall man wearing a flowing cape of magnificent blue and white. His illustrious blue hair fell in slight curls out of the white hat he wore on his head, and he stood in the very middle of the tower floor.

"Wallace," Steven said. "What are you..?"

As Steven approached the man named Wallace, he took a closer look at his surroundings and saw the remnants of what appeared to have been a fierce battle: the floor was covered in large and angry-looking scorch marks. Several large fires were still burning in places. An entire corner of the tower itself seemed to have been blasted away by a powerful force. Steven had visited the top of Sky Pillar once, years ago, and the top of the tower had been in ruins then as well. However, the detail that perturbed Steven in the present was the lack of a green, serpentine entity that he knew normally took up residence on this tower...

"My mentor was looking out the window of his Gym last night, and saw a dazzling array of lights coming from Sky Pillar," Wallace explained. "I came as soon as I could to investigate, but by the time I got here, the battle was over."

He gestured around him, indicating the scorched ground. Steven had a stern look on his face as he asked "Has anybody else come to investigate?"

Wallace frowned and shook his head. "Not many people know about Sky Pillar's to begin with, let alone possess the fortitude to make it all the way up here..."

Steven frowned and began searching through piles of rock as Wallace continued to speak. "I've been theorizing about what happened to Rayquaza. Of course I ruled Team Aqua and Team Magma out immediately, they barely made off with their respective prizes the last time, there's no way they'd survive an encounter with Rayquaza. Then I thought of that incident you described to me once..."

"That was supposed to be a meteor, remember?" Steven interjected, attempting to pull something out of the rubble he was examining. "Not a battle raged on Sky Pillar."

"True," Wallace conceded. "I suppose I'm fresh out of ideas, then."

"Good thing I'm not," Steven said. He was still attempting to remove whatever was trapped under the rocks. "Give me a hand with this, will you?"

Wallace began to walk over to Steven, though when he saw the dirt and dust being created by Steven's attempts to shift the rubble, he hesitated.

"Well?" Steven panted, "Aren't you going to help?"

Wallace eyed the dust cloud apprehensively, then cleared his throat and said in a commanding voice, "Stand back."

Steven did as instructed, as Wallace threw a Poké Ball towards the pile of rubble. A monstrous serpentine Pokémon erupted from the ball, its massive blue scales clattering and its fangs bared.

"Gyarados, please help us with these rocks," Wallace said.

Gyarados obeyed, sweeping away the rocks with its mighty tail. When the dust had settled (Wallace had moved back quite far at this point), a large piece of metal lay on the ground, now freed from the rocks thanks to Gyarados. Steven shook his head and chuckled softly, wiping the dirt off his face and striding back towards the piece of debris. Wallace returned Gyarados to its Poké Ball and followed, at a distance.

The piece of metal was about a metre in length and heavily charred, as though it had been burned away from something bigger. Written across the length of the debris in bold black lettering was the word 'ONE.'

"One?" Wallace stated in confusion. He turned to Steven. "What do you suppose it means?"

"I'm not sure," Steven said, pondering. He remained lost in thought for several moments. "Although..."

"Although what?" Wallace asked.

"Well, it could be the name of a satellite sent up by the Sootopolis Space Station..."

"You mean the _Mossdeep_ Space Station," Wallace corrected him.

"Am I ever going to get that right?" Steven asked, half-exasperated, half-amused. "In any case, this could have come from one of the Space Station's observational satellites. Maybe it was passing overhead as the battle ensued, and got hit by a stray Hyper Beam?"

"If that's the case, maybe its monitoring equipment caught a glimpse of what happened here," Wallace suggested.

"My thoughts exactly," Steven remarked. He picked up the debris (though the piece was rather large, the alloy itself was quite light). "Let's take this to the Space Station and investigate further."

Wallace nodded, and the two of them made their way back to the staircase leading down.

Meanwhile, deep under the waters of Route 134, in the bowels of the Sealed Chamber, a crack of white light appeared above the stone engravings on the wall.


	4. A Stark Defeat

The bubbling magma of Stark Mountain caused a sweltering and perpetual heat haze to rest upon the area. Pools of the molten rock surrounded the exterior of the mountain, while scorching lava flows heated and illuminated the expansive caves of the interior.

It was in these caves that three strangely-dressed people were currently hiking, making their way from one end of the mountain's rugged interior to the other. Two of these hikers were almost identical in appearance, with matching space-age uniforms and the same green bowl-cut. The third hiker, a short elderly man with purple hair and a lab coat, was leading the other two along the interior's treacherous paths. All three men had the same yellow 'G' emblazoned on their attire. They had been wandering around the inside of Stark Mountain for several hours, moving as swiftly as the rocky terrain permitted.

Suddenly, the leader of the group stopped and leaned against a rock, clutching his chest and panting profusely.

"Master Charon, sir!" one of the green-haired man cried. He ran forward to help the old man, but Charon jumped back up and waved him away.

"It's fine, it's fine," Charon muttered in a strained voice. He straightened himself up and looked at his followers, who were both wearing expressions of doubt. Charon frowned at the sight of this. "I hope you grunts aren't thinking of giving up?" he barked at them.

"We don't mind this mountain heat, sir," one of the grunts said, "but we're worried about the toll it's taking on _you_."

The other grunt nodded in agreement. Charon snorted, turning his back on the two grunts to hide his renewed look of extreme fatigue. Secretly, the old man agreed with them, he _had_ reached his limit. He was on the brink of collapse and wanted nothing more than to simply turn around and end this ridiculous treasure hunt. Charon was about to give up when the thought of the stone crossed his mind again, and the insane amount of profits it would generate...

Charon spun round with a renewed sense of purpose. "It's stiflingly hot. I'm sweating, I'm suffering, but I'm alive!" he said exuberantly. The two grunts stood gaping at their leader, startled slightly by this sudden shift in attitude. "The search will continue!" Charon exclaimed, leading the way forward once more. The two grunts sighed in resignation and followed in his wake.

After a few more hours of searching, the trio made it to a large set of stairs carved into the rocky wall of the cave. They ascended the staircase and found a small opening at the top.

"Here it is!" Charon cried. He ran forward into the cavernous opening, his henchmen wearing expressions of disbelief but following suit. The opening led into a small chamber, dimly lit and slightly cooler than the rest of Stark Mountain. Large rocks had been arranged in a circular pattern to surround a pedestal in the middle of the room (there was a solitary boulder set apart from the rest, resting inconspicuously near the chamber wall, but the three men paid it no mind). Charon approached the pedestal with mounting excitement, his followers close behind. At last Charon stopped directly in front of the rocky plinth, his eyes gleaming with delight.

Atop the pedestal sat a single stone, large and gray and unassuming. Charon reached out and placed his hand on the stone. It seemed to radiate warmth. Smiling, Charon placed both hands under the stone and lifted it off the pedestal.

"Finally!" Charon cried, holding the stone out in front of him. "It's been a long and tumultuous search, but my efforts have finally paid off! With this Magma Stone I will let awaken the Legendary Pokémon Heatran! I will control the volcano's eruptions to extort money by the millions! Fear me, world! For I am Charon! The boss of the reborn Team Galactic!"

The two grunts looked on as Charon continued his self-aggrandizement by the pedestal. One of the grunts rolled his eyes while his companion continued to stare forward with a slightly skeptical look on his face.

Suddenly, a voice called out from somewhere in the chamber. "Go, go, go!" the voice said loudly.

A blue blur rushed over to the grunt on Charon's left, and delivered a strong blow to the man's stomach. The grunt doubled over in pain as the attacker hurried over to the second grunt. He too received a strong blow to the stomach and collapsed.

The scuffle was over in a matter of seconds. Charon turned to see his men lying on the ground, unconscious.

"What in the..?" Charon stammered, as the Magma Stone disappeared from his hands. "No! The Magma Stone!" he cried in surprise. His head turned wildly to see where it had gone, until his eyes came to rest on a small blue Pokémon standing in the corner of the chamber. Its yellow eyes gleamed with triumph, and it held the Magma Stone in its long arms.

"What?!" Charon spat angrily in the direction of the Pokémon. "What is going on?!"

"Excellent work, Croagunk!" came the same loud voice from before. The voice appeared to be emanating from the boulder directly behind the blue Pokémon. Charon watched with apprehension as the boulder began to wiggle and shake. A few seconds later, a tall man wearing a red tie and trench coat emerged from beneath a boulder-coloured piece of cloth.

"Pah!" the man said, tossing aside his earthy camouflage. "Disguising myself as a boulder for stakeout was not easy!" He turned to face Croagunk, who held out the Magma Stone for the man to accept. The man smiled graciously and took the stone from the Toxic Mouth Pokémon. Croagunk followed the man as he proceeded towards Charon, who was still standing by the pedestal in shock.

The man in the trench coat reached Charon and held out his credentials. Charon could make out the codename "Looker" emblazoned on the badge in shiny black lettering.

"Now, old-timer," Looker said to Charon, "the International Police cordially requests your cooperation. I am sure you have much to tell us about the new Team Galactic. With Cyrus, Mars, and Jupiter gone, you are all that is left."

Charon looked from Looker to Croagunk to his unconscious henchmen and back to Looker. "Gah..." he said miserably. "What a mess..." Looker frowned at Charon, who hung his head in defeat. Croagunk stood poised beside Looker, ready to strike in case Charon decided to make a last-ditch attempt at resisting arrest.

Suddenly, a voice called out from entrance of the chamber. "Honchkrow, Psychic..." the voice said coolly.

A rush of psycho-kinetic energy made its way towards Croagunk, landing a direct hit on the Pokémon. Croagunk cried out in pain as it was sent flying across the chamber by the surprise attack. It slammed hard against the wall opposite, then slid down in a crumpled heap, lying immobile.

Looker quickly turned toward the source of the attack. A tall figure stood silhouetted against the entrance of the chamber, with a giant bird perched on the outline of its shoulder. Looker tried to reach into the innermost pocket of his trench coat, but a second Psychic hit him in the arm and he fell to his knees, clutching his wrist.

"Who..?" Looker asked through gritted teeth. The silhouette stepped into the chamber, and the gaunt face of a man came into view. The light of Stark Mountain's lava flows cast a soft red glow over his spiky blue hair, giving it the appearance of being on fire. The man was dressed in the same strange attire as Charon and the grunts, right down to the yellow 'G' emblazoned on his chest. The Pokémon perched on his shoulder was a giant bird with midnight-black feathers and a large crest resembling a fedora. It glared at Looker with beady, scarlet eyes as its master approached the pedestal to join the two conscious men.

Looker looked up at the man and his Pokémon. "I am presuming you to be Cyrus?" he said as calmly as he could. The man peered down at Looker with a fathomless expression on his face, but Looker did not falter. Finally the man nodded.

"That is correct," Cyrus replied. He continued to examine Looker with cold, piercing eyes. Looker returned his stare with a look of defiance. Finally, Cyrus broke eye contact and took a few steps forward, his back to Looker.

"You show great courage and spirit," he said softly. Looker remained silent, but his eyes began to scan the chamber, looking for an escape route.

"Unfortunately for you..." Cyrus continued, turning to face Looker once more. "I cannot stand the human spirit."

The Honchkrow on Cyrus' shoulders rustled its wings restlessly, as though foreseeing its master's next command. Looker eyed the Pokémon apprehensively, then looked back at Cyrus with a strained expression, the colour draining from his face.

"Honchkrow... Dark Pulse..." said Cyrus dispassionately.

A horrible aura imbued with dark thoughts was hurled right toward Looker. The attack hit Looker right in the chest, and he seemed to glow with a horrible darkness for a split second before he too was sent flying across the chamber. Looker crashed into the stony wall behind him and landed hard on the ground below, and did not move again.

Cyrus observed Looker's body with a detached expression before turning his attention to Charon, who all this time had been standing rooted to the spot in shock, watching these events unfold.

"So this is where you've been hiding, Charon..." Cyrus said quietly. Honchkrow took its place back on Cyrus' shoulder and crowed loudly.

Charon gulped, but then hastily rearranged his demeanour into one of sycophantic subordinance. "Why, Master Cyrus!" he said unctuously. "You've returned! I told those two cretins Mars and Jupiter not to give up hope, I knew you'd never abandon us! I-I've just been acting as temporary leader of Team Galactic until your glorious return, to 'keep the home fires burning,' as it were!" He gestured around at the sweltering Stark Mountain and laughed nervously at his own joke.

Cyrus continued to show no emotion whatsoever. Charon gulped harder and continued.

"A-Anyway, Master Cyrus, I have to ask, what happened to you? The last time anyone saw you was on Spear Pillar, when you were swallowed by an unimaginable darkness! What happened? Where did you go?"

Cyrus removed a Poké Ball from his pocket and returned Honchkrow to its confines, contemplating Charon's words as he did so. "I suppose," Cyrus said finally, "I was in another world?

"Another world?" asked Charon in bewilderment.

"Yes... At first I thought it was the new world, _my_ new world," he said distantly. "But then I was confronted with the human spirit, by evil men desiring power and righteous Trainers desiring to stop them... and there was a Rotom..."

Charon's expression softened slightly. "A Rotom?" he asked, a hint of affection in his voice.

"But it was unlike any Rotom I've ever seen..." Cyrus said quietly. "It was... in a Pokédex..."

"In a _Pokédex?!_ " Charon asked incredulously, "I've _never_ heard of such a thing..!"

"Then I was defeated in battle," Cyrus continued, "and ended up back here. I expected to return to my perfect world, but this world still remains. Why..?"

Charon, who was now over the shock of Cyrus' abrupt reappearance, pushed his glasses a little farther up his face. "Ah, yes, well," he said matter-of-factly, "I've been doing some research on that while you've been gone."

"What did you find out?" Cyrus asked.

"Apparently, the Pokémon that attacked you is known as Giratina." Charon explained. "It lives in a dimension parallel to ours, where the laws are physics are distorted. From what I discovered, the fate of that distorted world is tied irrevocably to the fate of our own world. When you tried to create your new universe, Giratina emerged to stop the destruction of its, and by extension _our_ , world."

"Incredible," Cyrus remarked, staring off into the distance. "That was a variable I did not account for when creating my plan for a new world." He turned his attention to Charon. "Now that we know what to expect, we can make a second attempt at creating my new world, this time taking care to neutralize the threat of Giratina..."

Charon frowned and shook his head in dismay. "Unfortunately," he told Cyrus, "that won't be possible."

"Explain," Cyrus commanded.

Charon looked slightly cowed, but continued. "Well after you disappeared, Saturn thought it would be a good idea to, how did he put it, "see Master Cyrus' marvelous vision for a better world through to completion!" Charon quoted with a hint of disdain. "I wasn't the biggest fan of this plan, but I agreed to help him construct more Red Chains. We had already created one through technological means, duplicating it twice more was easy. But when Team Galactic went back to Spear Pillar to make a second attempt at your plan... The Legendary Pokémon didn't appear."

"Impossible..." Cyrus said quietly.

"Yes, it was most strange," Charon remarked. "We did everything you did, but Dialga and Palkia simply refused to show themselves..."

"When I say it is impossible," Cyrus interrupted, "I do not exaggerate. The Red Chain was designed to control the Pokémon of time and space completely. There was no way they could have resisted its pull."

"Unless..." Charon started, a hypothesis forming in his head. "You were transported to another world," he said to Cyrus, "a world where Rotom can inhabit a Pokédex... What if Dialga and Palkia were _also_ transported to another world, a world where they are outside the Red Chain's sphere of influence?"

Cyrus contemplated this idea. "If your theory is correct," he said, "then that means we must find a way to move ourselves freely between different realities, if my vision of creating a perfect world is ever to succeed."

Charon's face lit up as he strode towards Looker's body, reaching into the man's coat pocket.

"That sounds like a very resource-intensive plan," he said in an oily voice, fumbling around in Looker's pocket. At last he pulled out the Magma Stone and held it up for Cyrus to see. "I know it doesn't look like much, but this stone will go a _long_ way in providing the financial backing we'll need for such a plan."

Cyrus eyed the Magma Stone impassively. "Fine," he agreed, "do what you want with it."

Without another word, Cyrus turned and left the chamber. Charon smiled greedily as he went to rouse the unconscious grunts.

A short time later, four members of the newly inspired Team Galactic made their way out of Stark Mountain towards Route 227. Behind them, the mountain started to rumble and shake ominously. Small white cracks unrelated to the sudden volcanic activity began to form at the base of the mountain.


	5. An Icy Reunion

Fierce winds blew against a derelict building just east of Lentimas Town. Flurries of sand scratched against the glass of the broken windows, and the unhinged doors swung ominously on their frames. The interior of the building was at odds with the maelstrom outside, as an eerie and unnatural silence permeated nearly every corner of the house. Plant pots scraped and rugs shifted, though there was no living soul present to move them.

No living soul, save for one lone man tucked away in the master bedroom upstairs. He sat crouched in front of a small television, its soft light illuminating the dusty room, its low volume the only source of noise in the Strange House. The man shifted slightly as he held up a remote control and clicked one of the buttons.

" _This Trainer is doing nothing but throwing Poké Balls._ "

*click*

" _Hey everybody, welcome back to the show! We're your hosts, Nancy and Christoph, and -_ "

*click*

" _In other news, more strange weather has been reported around the Unova Region, this time in the area outside of Lacunosa -_ "

*click*

" _Next time on the Pokémon Whisperer..._ "

The man hastily clicked back to the previous channel.

" _\- Giant Chasm has seen a drastic decrease in temperature seemingly overnight, which has scientists baffled._ "

"So, it looks like it's true…" the man said in a gruff voice. His words echoed throughout the abandoned room as he leaned forward and shut off the television. He breathed in a lungful of musty air and closed his eyes, exhaling a sigh as he did so. Strong winds continued to blow viciously against the Strange House, sending a cold draught throughout the entire building. The man sat with his eyes closed for a few more seconds, then spoke out into the silence again.

"Well well well," he said softly, " I had a feeling you'd show up sooner or later."

"Where's Kyurem, Ghetsis?" the voice of a young man came from the doorway.

The man named Ghetsis opened his eyes and turned his head round to look at the new arrival. A young man in a white shirt and cap stood in the doorway, his long green hair tied in a messy ponytail down to his waist. Ghetsis eyed the young man with disdain, then smirked.

"Funny," he said, "I could ask you the same thing, N."

The young man called N took a step forward into the empty room. Ghetsis immediately recoiled against the wall. N stopped walking forward. "You're pathetic, Ghetsis," he said softly.

Ghetsis looked incensed, but N took another step forward and the look of incense on Ghetsis' face immediately changed to one of fear.

"W-What do you want?!" Ghetsis asked, strained. "I-I don't know anything!"

"You don't?" N asked quietly, stopping for a second time to consider Ghetsis' words. N looked at Ghetsis, taking in his filthy appearance; once upon a time, Ghetsis' long hair had been the same brilliant shade of green as N's, but now it was filthy and unkempt, with specks of mud scattered throughout. The remnants of a once majestic, floor-length cloak rested in shambles upon Ghetsis' emaciated shoulders, barely reaching past his elbows.

N spoke again, "Looking at you now Ghetsis, you certainly don't look like you have anything to do with Kyurem's disappearance. But you always were a wonderful liar…"

N took a third step towards Ghetsis, who gave a gulp. Ghetsis held his hands out in front of him, waving them frantically for N to stop.

"I swear, I don't know anything! Look at the state of me! I've just been hold up here, desperately struggling to survive!" Ghetsis implored with a hint of begging in his voice.

N stopped a third time. He looked at the sniveling, pathetic form of Ghetsis huddled against the wall, closed his eyes, and sighed.

"You're right, Ghetsis," N said slowly, turning towards the door, "I'm wasting my time here talking to you. You clearly don't know anything at all. You're just a scared old man now. Scared… and alone."

N began to walk back out of the room, as Ghetsis straightened himself up. A blank expression had come across his face and he spoke softly:

"Who said I was alone?"

N turned his head to look back at Ghetsis, a confused look on his face. As he did so however, two shadowy figures appeared in the doorway, blocking N's path. N turned around to face Ghetsis again, who was now smiling triumphantly; a third shadow appeared mere feet in front of N.

The Shadow Triad had N cornered. Ghetsis brushed some dust off his arm, and straightened the remnants of his cloak, a bored look on his face.

"Took you boys long enough," Ghetsis said to the shadow standing in front of N, "I had to do a bit of improvising there. I haven't acted that hard since I tried to convince the people of Unova to throw away their Pokémon!"

Ghetsis laughed at his own joke. The shadowy figures continued to stand motionless. N stared back at Ghetsis coldly.

"Our apologies, Lord Ghetsis," one of the shadowy men said.

Ghetsis waved his hand dismissively. "Bah, pay it no mind. I quite enjoyed myself. Besides," he continued as he walked closer to N, "the look on his face when he was suddenly ambushed... It was the look one gets when they've lost all hope, and I do so enjoy seeing that look on people's faces!"

Ghetsis laughed again. "Now then, boy," he said matter-of-factly, as though getting down to brass tacks, "Let's have a talk."

N glared at Ghetsis, who was looking back at N with a look of commanding calm.

"So," N asked Ghetsis, "it was all an act?"

Ghetsis laughed a third time. "My dear boy," he chuckled, wiping a fake tear from his eye, "you may think you're intimidating, but believe me when I say it takes a lot more than the likes of you to break my spirits. I mean, take a look around you!" Ghetsis motioned around the dingy room, "If living in this dump for so long couldn't defeat me, did you really think that _you_ could?! Priceless!" Ghetsis smiled at N. He was clearly enjoying himself. N looked around the room for a means of escape. He took a slight half-step to his right, but the Shadow Triad reacted immediately, moving closer to N.

"Oh come now," Ghetsis implored, as the Shadow Triad continued to bare down menacingly upon N, "Don't tell me you want to leave already? We still have so much to talk about! For starters," Ghetsis said, as he moved closer to N, "you can tell me everything you know about Kyurem's disappearance!"

N's eyes widened, and his face took on a look of slight worry. "You… you mean you... don't know where Kyurem is?" he asked quietly.

Ghetsis gave a snort of disgust, and turned his back to N. "Are your ears as defective as the rest of you, boy?" Ghetsis snapped, "I already told you I have no idea where the blasted dragon is! Again," Ghetsis turned back to face N, indicating the barren room, "does it really look like I have the resources or the manpower to pull off such an operation?" The Shadow Triad continued to look straight ahead, unflinching. Ghetsis eyed them and added, "No offense, boys."

"We are not offended, Lord Ghetsis," one of the Shadow Triad said.

Ghetsis sighed. "I know, you never are…" he said, somewhat exasperated. Ghetsis shook his head and looked back at N, who continued to look worried. Ghetsis smiled wickedly.

"Do you know what I think?" Ghetsis asked, as N remained silent, "I think you knew deep down that I had nothing to do with Kyurem, at least not _this_ time around." Ghetsis began pacing back and forth in front of N, his head in his hands as he spoke. "In fact, I think you wanted me to be the one to have kidnapped Kyurem. That way, you could simply confront me as you've done before, foil my plans, and _save the day_." Ghetsis uttered the last three words with contempt. "But now…" Ghetsis continued in a voice just above a whisper, "you've got confirmation that I have nothing to do with it, and now you're worrying about who might _really_ be behind it…"

N said nothing, his gaze set down on the floor, a look of defeat on his face. Ghetsis smiled triumphantly, and moved closer still to N. "But that's not all…" Ghetsis continued, "I think you already have an idea on the true identity of Kyurem's abductor. So now…" Ghetsis moved so close to N that their faces were now inches apart, "I want you to tell me everything you know."

N continued to look down, despondent. Ghetsis eyed him intently. After a brief moment of silence, N slowly lifted his gaze to meet Ghetsis'. Suddenly, a devious smile spread across N's face. Ghetsis looked taken aback as N began to ripple, as though made out of the stuff of mirages. In an instant, where N had previously stood now stood the form of a Pokémon with midnight-black fur, and the eyes of a trickster. Ghetsis and the Shadow Triad floundered, and Zoroark's body began to glow with a dark light.

"Lord Ghetsis!" the Shadow Triad member closest to Ghetsis exclaimed, as he grabbed Ghetsis and threw him aside. A split second later, Zoroark unleashed a burst of dark energy. The Night Daze attack hit all three members of the Shadow Triad, sending them flying. Ghetsis lay sprawled on the floor after being pushed aside, holding his arms up to shield himself from the aftershock of the attack. As the dust settled, Ghetsis sat up and looked around the room. A Shadow Triad member lay slumped against the wall opposite the door, knocked out. The other two lay unconscious in the hallway. Ghetsis crawled towards the wall. "You…" he managed weakly.

"The plan was to knock out all four of you at once, but the Shadow Triad reacted faster than I thought," said a speedy voice from the hallway. Ghetsis' face contorted into a look of rage as he lifted his gaze to the doorway. The real N stepped out from behind the wall and walked into the room to Zoroark's side.

N placed his hand on Zoroak's mane, and Zoroark growled softly. "Thank you, my friend," N said hurriedly, "I hated putting you in so much danger, but you were right, Ghetsis was a lot more forthcoming when he thought he had the upper hand." N turned to look at Ghetsis, who slowly began to work his way up the wall into a standing position.

"So, you got the better of me, and my Shadows," Ghetsis said bitterly. A small purple orb slipped from beneath Ghetsis' tattered robes into his hands, but this went unnoticed by N or Zoroark. "Well played, boy. With deceit like that, perhaps you're worthy of the name Harmonia after all..."

"It's over Ghetsis," N said swifty.

"I think NOT, _boy_!" Ghetsis shouted, as he threw the orb to the ground. The Smoke Ball enveloped the room in a dense, purple fog. N and Zoroark shielded their faces, coughing. N heard the sound of breaking glass and ran over to one of the windows. In the distance, he could see the haggard form of Ghetsis running towards Reversal Mountain.

"He got away…" N remarked quietly, as the smokescreen dissipated. Zoroark walked over to its friend, and gave him a reassuring nod and a growl. N shook his head.

"No," N said briskly, looking over the unconscious bodies of the Shadow Triad, "with his Shadow Triad captured, he truly has nothing left. It's doubtful he'll pose much of a threat now. Besides, it was a longshot that he was involved in the first place, but we now know for certain that he had nothing to do with Kyurem's disappearance."

N turned towards the centre of the room, a look of trepidation on his face. "As I feared, this threat goes way beyond Ghetsis, which means… I think it's time we asked for some help."

Zoroark gave a growl of agreement, which N returned with a small smile. The two friends turned to the door and walked out of the room, the unconscious Shadow Triad in tow. As the door slowly creaked shut, a small crack appeared on the far wall of the room, glowing with a silent white light.


	6. Un Mystère Inexplicable

The streets of Lumiose City were as crowded as ever: taxis zoomed this way and that, taking people from one end of the city to the other. There were several Gogoat running up and down the boulevard ferrying people as well, for those Trainers who wanted to travel around the city in a bit more style. Groups of friends traveled from one café to the next, conversing loudly about the newest PR video they'd seen, or the latest accessory they'd purchased at the boutique. Even more common was the sight of a lost or weary tourist, struggling in vain to find their way to their destination. The elegant Prism Tower stood illuminated in the centre of the city, attracting the largest crowds of any tourist attraction in Lumiose, for it doubled as an official Pokémon League Gym.

Amid all the hustle and bustle of Lumiose City, a solitary figure riding a flying Pokémon was landing in front of the South Boulevard Pokémon Center. It was a woman dressed in a brown overcoat, a matching fedora hat, and large opaque sunglasses. She dismounted her Hawlucha, thanked it for the ride, and returned it to its Poké Ball. She then turned right from the Pokémon Center, heading down South Boulevard to her next destination. The woman could have taken a taxi to make her trip quicker, but sometimes she liked walking down the boulevard, taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling city:

" - Oh you _gotta_ try a Lumiose Galette, they taste absolutely _amazing,_ and your Pokémon will really - "

" - _Forget Pokévision, try PR Video, where anyone can become a star -_ "

" - I _told_ you, you gotta stop wasting your time at the Loto-ID Center, you're never going to - "

" _\- Corporation bought out Lysandre Labs today, making it the second company along with Devon of -_ "

" - Did you hear that they're thinking of giving Restaurant Le Nah another star?! Whoever _they_ are - "

" - My hair is absolutely RUINED!"

A man burst out of Coiffure Clips, almost running into the woman walking down the boulevard. "Oops, sorry lady," he said, before sidestepping her and continuing down the street in a huff. The woman looked at the hairdresser's building and smiled. Her destination was right next door.

There was the slight tinkle of a bell as the woman entered the café. The barista was collecting empty cups from a table close to the door. She smiled at the new arrival and walked over to greet her.

"Welcome to Café Soleil," she said cheerily. "What can I get you today?"

"Actually," the woman said in a low voice, adjusting her glasses slightly and scanning the room. "I'm here to meet a friend. I don't suppose you've seen a man with... Ah..."

The woman fell silent as her eyes landed on a table in the far corner of the café. Sitting there was an extremely tall man with long white hair. He looked very uncomfortable squished into the small chairs of Café Soleil, but he sat without complaint, drinking silently in the corner. The barista followed the woman's gaze to the back of the shop, and her smiled faltered slightly.

"That's... your friend?" she asked in a slightly haughty tone.

The woman in the overcoat nodded and proceeded to walk over to the man, leaving the barista standing by the door with a sour look on her face.

"You're early," the woman said as she reached the table. The man, who did not notice her approach, immediately began to get up to greet her properly. The woman smiled kindly and gestured him to remain seated. "Please," she said warmly, as the man sat back down. "It looks as though you're uncomfortable enough, don't start getting up and down for my sake." The woman looked around for the barista. "In fact, why don't we ask for a more comfortable chair?"

"This is the biggest chair they had," the man said flatly. "But I appreciate your kindness. Please, sit."

The woman smiled and took the seat opposite the man. "I was surprised to hear from you, if I'm being honest," she said to the man, who continued to drink. "Although I was even _more_ surprised when you said you wanted to meet here. Café Soleil just so happens to be my favourite café in Lumiose City."

"I know, that's why I picked it," the man said, putting down his cup. He reached into a dirty rucksack on the floor and pulled out a magazine entitled _Kalos Confidential_. The woman sat bemused as the man flicked to a page in the magazine.

" _If you're looking for Lumiose hotspots, look no further than Café Soleil,_ " the man read out loud. " _Kalos Champion and regional superstar Diantha has proclaimed it to be her favourite café in the city, where she enjoys finding Trainers with real potential!"_

The woman named Diantha sat in silence for several seconds. Finally, she giggled softly.

"Well, Mr. AZ," she said teasingly, "I didn't take you for someone who reads _Kalos Confidential._ "

"I like their archeology articles," AZ said simply.

Diantha giggled again. "Well, I appreciate your consideration," she said genuinely, "but your message made it sound as though you had some important matters to discuss. Usually when I come in here, I never get a moment's peace! I'm always inundated by fans."

AZ tilted his head slightly and indicated Diantha's attire. "Is that why you're dressed like this?" he asked. "To avoid being recognized?"

Diantha nodded. AZ gave a small frown. "I apologize for causing you inconvenience," he said dolefully.

"No no, it's fine," Diantha reassured him. "Occasionally I come in here dressed like this anyway, on days when I just want some time to myself."

"The life of a movie star must be difficult," AZ said quietly.

"It can be," she said contemplatively, staring out the café window. She looked back at AZ and smiled sadly. "Although, my struggles seem inconsequential compared to the suffering others have had to endure." She reached out and placed a hand on AZ's arm. He gave a small smile of gratitude. Diantha returned his smile and retracted her arm, putting both hands in her lap.

"Now then," she said finally, as AZ picked up his cup again, "what is it that you wanted to discuss?"

AZ finished his drink and placed the empty cup back on the table. He leaned in a bit closer to Diantha and lowered his voice slightly.

"I've been examining the pit in Geosenge Town," he said quietly.

Diantha looked slightly taken aback. "Geosenge Town?" she asked. "Isn't that the place where..?"

AZ nodded and continued. "I think somebody has been in there recently."

Diantha's expression turned rather serious as she asked, "Do you think that Lysandre has been back to his old headquarters?"

AZ shook his head. "I don't believe so," he told her. "When I examined the weapon, it was covered in a fine layer of dust, hadn't been touched since the headquarter's destruction"

Diantha breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"Besides," AZ continued with a small smirk, reaching under his green scarf, "even if it _had_ been Lysandre back to try again, he wouldn't have gotten very far."

AZ revealed a dull bronze key on a chain around his neck. Diantha removed her sunglasses to get a better look at the key.

"Is that what I think it is?" she asked disbelievingly. AZ nodded, tucking the key back under his clothes. "But I thought you said it was lost!" Diantha exclaimed. "Either destroyed or in the hands of Lysandre himself!"

"That's what I thought, upon first inspection of the ruins," AZ told her. "However, after the 'Honor of Kalos' parade, I paid another visit to the headquarters, joined by a fresh pair of eyes. Needless to say," AZ said in response to Diantha's confused look, "my friend is _much_ more adept at finding things than I. She retrieved the key for me." AZ smiled at the thought of his companion.

"You have the key, the Ultimate Weapon is inactive... This all sounds like good news to me..." Diantha said wearily. "Why do I feel like the other Roller Skate is about to drop?"

AZ's smile faded. He leaned in closer to Diantha and spoke in barely a whisper.

"I've been monitoring the ruined headquarters very closely," he explained quietly, "in order to ensure that no one tries to reactivate the weapon again. I feel as though it's my responsibility, given the circumstances of the weapon's origins." He gave a sorrowful look as he remembered his past, but continued. "Every time I've been down in that Team Flare basement, there have always been two things: the Ultimate Weapon, and the inert form of the Legendary Pokémon."

"That's right," Diantha whispered. "According to the Champion, the Legendary Pokémon returned to a dormant state after it was quelled in Team Flare's Secret HQ."

"Lysandre attempted to reclaim the Pokémon's power but was soundly defeated by the Champion," AZ remarked. "In a last-ditch effort, Lysandre used what little power the Ultimate Weapon had left to bring the Secret HQ crumbling down. The headquarters was buried, as was the weapon and the slumbering form of the Legendary Pokémon."

Diantha's eyes widened with worry. "Wait, you don't mean to tell me that..."

AZ nodded solemnly. "Yes," he confirmed. "I'm afraid the Legendary Pokémon is gone."

Diantha sat in silence. A few tables down, two patrons were stealing glances at the Champion and AZ, speaking in hushed and excited voices behind their hands. "So," Diantha said finally, "you _don't_ think Lysandre is responsible?"

AZ shook his head. "If he were responsible," he reasoned, "he wouldn't have taken the Legendary Pokémon off somewhere else, the Ultimate Weapon is right there."

"True," Diantha agreed. "But then, is it possible that the Legendary Pokémon has simply awakened, and found a more suitable place to reside?"

AZ gave a small smile. "I've already had a similar thought, and I've sent a friend of mine to investigate further," he said.

The murmuring a few tables down grew louder. AZ glanced in the direction of the noise. "I think we should continue this conversation elsewhere," he said, standing up. "My friend should be meeting us at Prism Tower shortly."

Diantha looked toward the source of the noise as well, spotting several blushing and excited fans. She nodded in agreement, and the two of them left Café Soleil. AZ and Diantha took a few left turns, walking down Bleu Plaza and ending their journey in Centrico Plaza. Diantha glanced up at the towering, majestic form of Prism Tower.

"I never get tired of coming to see this tower," she said fondly, as she and AZ took a seat on a park bench. She turned to face him. "So who is this "friend" of yours, and what did you send her to find out?"

"You can ask her yourself," AZ said with a smile, pointing towards the sky. Diantha looked up. A dainty Pokémon was descending from above, silhouetted against the sun. As it hovered above AZ's outstretched hand, Diantha recognized it as a Floette, though this Floette was holding a type of flower Diantha had never seen before: the flower had black and red petals and an oddly familiar shape, like something Diantha had seen before in the buried ruins of Geosenge Town...

"So, Floette?" AZ asked the Pokémon imploringly. "Did you find..?"

Floette frowned and shook its head. AZ's heart sank as he hung his head. Floette landed in his palm and gave his hand a gentle hug. AZ smiled and stroked the Pokémon affectionately with his finger, then turned to Diantha in dismay.

"Tell me," AZ asked her, "have you ever heard of a Pokémon called Zygarde?"

"Yes," Diantha answered. "It's rumoured to watch over the world's ecosystem and maintain order."

"Floette has just been to Terminus Cave," he reported sadly, "the cave where Zygarde makes its nest in the Kalos Region. She searched the entire cave, and as I told you, she's _very_ adept at finding things. But apparently... Zygarde was nowhere to be found."

Diantha was visibly shocked. "Two Legendary Pokémon disappearing at the same time?" she asked disbelievingly. "That hardly seems like a coincidence."

"I have some contacts in Sootopolis City in the Hoenn Region," AZ continued, "and they've told me that they are experiencing similar disappearances."

Diantha frowned. "So the question remains," she said in a tone of foreboding, "who or _what_ is responsible for these disappearances?"

AZ didn't answer. Diantha returned his silence, lost in her own thoughts. After a time, AZ and Floette proceeded down Vernal Avenue, and Diantha followed. She turned and took one last look at Prism Tower; it remained as tall and bright and majestic as ever, the glowing cracks forming on its surface camouflaged by the tower's luminescence.


	7. A Showdown at Po Town

Po Town was as miserable-looking as ever; the walled area was eternally shrouded in dreary skies, and the torrential downpour that fell upon Team Skull's former hideout was constant and unwavering. Rows of dilapidated and abandoned houses lined the streets, devoid of power. Not even the Pokémon Center, with its backup generator, was functioning these days. The cobblestone footpaths of the town lay in disrepair, the graffiti adorning them shimmering and shining in the rain.

A lone figure was making its way through the rain towards the most northern part of town, a young man with blonde hair that covered most of his face. His black clothing was torn in several places, and he had a slight air of neglect about him, as though he had fallen on hard times recently. The boy appeared to be walking through town with a mixture of determination and slight trepidation, turning his head every which way looking for any sign of movement.

The boy reached the northern edge of town and stopped walking. Several rusted trucks were parked outside a large, stone-brick building with opulent windows. A once-stately mansion, the Shady House now stood looking as forsaken as the rest of the buildings in town. The boy stood eyeing the house for several seconds and was about to enter, when the giant wooden doors swung open. The boy raised his eyebrows but stood firm as he watched a solitary figure emerge from the mansion.

The figure was that of a hunched old man, his grey hair resting flatly on his head. He wore a police officer's uniform and (despite the chilly, rainy weather) flip-flops on his feet. His face bore a permanently dour expression, and he was making his way down the small steps of the Shady House's front porch. The blonde boy stood at the end of the cobblestone path, a fair distance away from the front door of the mansion, looking towards the old man with a renewed sense of purpose.

"Officer Nanu..." the boy whispered quietly.

Despite the deluge of rain and the sound of rumbling thunder above, the old man seemed to hear these words. He stopped and looked towards the blonde boy, locking eyes with him as the boy looked taken aback. The boy rearranged his face into one absolute determination as the old man named Nanu headed for the boy in black.

"Well, well," Nanu said as he approached, "it's been a while, boy. Tell me, how're your mother and sister doing?"

The boy averted his eyes to the ground with a slight grimace and raised his hand to his temple.

"They haven't come back from Kanto yet," he said, sounding slightly resigned. "Mother's... _Lusamine's_ condition is definitely improving, but it's a slow process and they want to make sure she's completely healthy before moving her again."

Nanu dug his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "She's getting better, at least," he said flatly. "That's something."

The boy said nothing. The two of them stood in silence for several long seconds, until Nanu shrugged again.

"Nice chat," he said sarcastically, as he walked past the boy, back towards the entrance of town. "Goodbye, Gladion."

"I've been looking for you, Officer Nanu," the boy named Gladion called out suddenly.

Nanu stopped and turned back to face Gladion, who was eyeing the old man intently. "Is that what you're doing in a dump like this?" Nanu asked, one of his thick eyebrows raised. "Looking for a wretch like me?" Gladion nodded, and Nanu shrugged. "...and here I thought you were just looking for some of your old Team Skull pals," the old man continued, "they're all gone, I'm afraid."

Gladion looked stung by this comment, but pressed on. "No," he said forcefully, "I'm here looking for _you._ I'm here to show you, to _prove_ to you..."

Gladion's voice trailed off. Nanu stood staring back at the boy with a fathomless expression on his face. Gladion closed his eyes and sighed.

"Do you remember... what you said to me... back then?" Gladion asked, opening his eyes and fixing them on Nanu.

"I asked you why you were relying on Team Skull for strength," Nanu answered.

Gladion nodded. "I took what you said to heart, old man," he continued, refusing to break eye contact with Nanu. "I set out in search of my _own_ strength, and now... I'm here to show you what I've learned... in battle!"

Lightning flashed overhead, and thunder soon followed. Gladion stood fixed to the spot, his green eyes piercing Nanu's red ones. Finally, a wry smile appeared on Nanu's lined face.

"Well shoot," Nanu said, removing an Ultra Ball from his pocket. Gladion smiled eagerly and removed a Poké Ball from his own pocket. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious to see how far you've come. Just do me a favour," Nanu requested, tossing his Ultra Ball lazily out in front of him, "...don't take it too serious, now."

* * *

The battle raged on in tandem with the thunderstorm. The unyielding downpour did not play much part in the battle however, as neither Trainer's team truly benefited from the rain's effects.

Gladion recalled his fainted Pokémon, as Nanu did the same. Though both Trainers were down to their last Pokémon, the difference in their demeanours was evident; Nanu seemed as stoic and impassive as ever, undeterred by the rain or the loss of Pokémon. On the other hand, Gladion was panting heavily and his arm was shaking uncontrollably. As his water-logged clothing chilled him to the bone, Gladion lamented on the fact that his family and rain never got on well, before reaching into his pocket for his last Pokémon. Gladion looked down at the ball in his hand and gripped it tightly. "This is it, partner," he whispered to the ball, as a short distance away Nanu was readying his own Ultra Ball.

Gladion and Nanu sent their Pokémon out onto the battlefield simultaneously.

"Let's do it, Silvally!" Gladion shouted.

"Persian..." Nanu said in a bored voice.

The balls burst open, and both Pokémon appeared in front of their Trainers. On Nanu's side of the battlefield, a slender black cat with a round face stood licking its paws, the blue gem set in its forehead giving off a soft glow. On Gladion's end, a chimeric Pokémon with sharp front claws and a fish-like tail stood poised for battle, its metallic nostrils flaring. The Pokémon possessed a large crest on the top of its head, and this crest (along with the Pokémon's tail and eyes) were all the same shade of slightly faded pink.

"Well well," Nanu remarked, eyeing the Pokémon's crest, "this is an interesting development."

"I've fitted Silvally with a Fairy Memory for this battle," Gladion told Nanu defiantly. "Looks like I've got the advantage here."

Nanu gave another wry smile. "Don't count us out just yet, boy," he told Gladion, before turning his attention to Persian. "Persian, Power Gem!" he ordered.

The Classy Cat Pokémon obeyed, leaping into the air at an incredible speed and launching several hard, glowing gems in Silvally's direction. The Rock-type attack connected with its target, but Silvally seemed relatively unfazed.

"They won't be using their strong Dark-type attacks, not while we resist them," Gladion called to his Pokémon. He thrust his arm toward Nanu's Persian and shouted, "Silvally, Multi Attack!"

Silvally gave a roar and rushed towards Persian, its sharp green claws glowing with the same pink light in its eyes. It slashed out at Nanu's Persian, scoring a super effective hit and sending the cat flying back.

"Well done, Silvally!" Gladion called out encouragingly, but his face fell slightly when he re-examined the battlefield.

There was no doubt that the Fairy-type attack had done a considerable amount of damage to Nanu's Persian. However, Nanu's Pokémon was back up on its feet quicker than Gladion had expected, and the look in its eyes suggested that it still had quite a lot of fight left in it.

"What?" Gladion whispered. "The attack should have done way more than _that..._ "

"It's because of Persian's Ability," Nanu answered in response to the confused look on Gladion's face (or perhaps he overheard Gladion's whispers over the tumultuous sound of the rain again). "Thanks to Persian's lustrous Fur Coat, it can weather physical attacks quite well. No pun intended," he added, gesturing around at the rain.

Persian meowed in a gloating sort of way. Silvally glared at the cat Pokémon and gave a low growl of irritation.

"Tch," Gladion remarked, who was equally as annoyed as his Pokémon. "That may be true, but Fur Coat or not, you won't be able to survive a repeated assault!"

"We'll see," Nanu said simply, before commanding Persian to use another Power Gem.

Just as before, Persian launched a barrage of glowing rock in Silvally's direction, and just as before, the attack landed a direct hit. Gladion looked out toward his Pokémon; while Silvally was nowhere close to giving up, Gladion could see that his Pokémon could not withstand a prolonged assault any more than Nanu's could. As Silvally shook off the attack, Gladion commanded: "Go for another Multi Attack, Silvally!"

Silvally ran full speed at Persian once again, this time running in a serpentine pattern. Persian tried to follow the Synthetic Pokémon, but its movements were too random. Before Persian could get a proper fix on Silvally, the Multi Attack had connected once more. Persian was knocked to the ground by the force of the super effective attack once more, only this time it was slower to get up.

Gladion hid his feelings of triumph behind a face of commanding calm. "Well done, Silvally," he called out to his Pokémon. "One more hit should do it."

Silvally nodded in agreement, hiding its own eagerness for victory behind a face of steely concentration.

Back over on Nanu's end of the battlefield, Persian winced slightly as it placed its weight on its front paw. It looked to its Trainer for reassurance, and Nanu returned its look with yet another wry smile.

"I think it's time for the beginning of the end, don't you, Persian?" he asked his Pokémon slyly. Persian smiled and nodded, turning to face its opponents again as Nanu cricked his neck. "It's been a long time since we've gone for one of these," he said matter-of-factly, as he crossed his arms out in front of himself. The feelings of elation that filled Gladion and his Pokémon were replaced by feelings of confusion as Nanu bent his whole upper body towards the ground, bringing it back up in a sickly, malevolent pose.

"A Z-Move's not going to work!" Gladion called out derisively, as Nanu's Persian became enveloped in Z-Power. "Even a fully-powered Black Hole Eclipse won't be strong enough to defeat us!"

"There's more than one way to utilize a Z-Crystal, boy," Nanu said simply over the sound of the rain. "Persian... Z-Torment."

Gladion looked on in endless confusion as Persian absorbed the Z-Power into its body, glowing with an eerie light. At the same time, it let out a baleful cry in Silvally's direction. Silvally became enraged by the menacing screech, but seemed otherwise unharmed. The cry stopped as suddenly as it had started, and the glow around Persian ceased. There were several seconds of silence, save for the continuous rainfall. Silvally turned back to look at Gladion, both sharing a look of utter confusion. No attack seemed to have connected with Silvally, and no apparent changes had manifested themselves on the battlefield.

Had the attack failed? Gladion refused to believe that an Island Kahuna could make such an egregious mistake, yet there was no apparent damage done to Silvally… Gladion cleared his throat and said in a firm, clear voice: "Stay alert, Silvally! I'm not sure what that Z-move did, but we can't let our guard down!"

Silvally noticed the tone of its Trainer's voice. It shook off its misgivings and nodded in agreement. Silvally trusted Gladion completely, and if Gladion wasn't going to show any signs of confusion or uncertainly, then neither was the Synthetic Pokémon.

"Remember," Gladion continued, "we just need one more hit to end this battle. So… Silvally, Multi Attack!"

Silvally let out a tumultuous battle cry, and ran headlong at Persian. Rather than try and track its opponent's movements this time, Persian stood completely still, bracing itself for the impact. Silvally reached its target, and with a mighty swing unleashed a full-forced Multi-Attack on Persian. The cat Pokémon went flying through the air, landing with a dull wet thud in front of Nanu.

 _We did it, Silvally,_ Gladion found himself thinking, _we won._

Gladion's private celebration was short-lived however, as within seconds Persian had risen from the ground. It looked extremely miserable, battered and bruised and swaying on the spot, but it was still conscious. Hissing loudly, Persian launched another Power Gem at Silvally, who was blown back by the attack. Gladion's face could not hide his shock as Silvally got back to its feet, letting out a disappointed and agitated growl.

"But, how...?" Gladion stammered.

"It was my Z-Move, boy," Nanu explained flatly, "Persian's defenses were bolstered by the Z-Move's power, allowing it to withstand another one of your attacks."

Gladion shook his head and frowned, his temper rising slightly. "That's pretty impressive," he said fiercely, turning to look at Silvally, "but it just delays the inevitable. Silvally, _one more Multi Attack!_ "

Gladion extended his arm towards Nanu as he issued his command. He expected to see Silvally jump towards Persian once more, delivering the final blow. However, Silvally remained rooted to the spot, a strained look on its face. Gladion lowered his arm and called out to his Pokémon, "Silvally? Silvally! What's wrong?!"

"It'll be the Z-Move again," Nanu continued in the same monotonous voice. "Persian's Torment won't allow your Pokémon to use the same attack twice in a row, you see."

Gladion stood staring at Nanu, anger and embarrassment bubbling up inside him; he had been outmaneuvered by the Kahuna at every turn, despite the type advantage Silvally possessed against the opposing team. Gladion's temper continued to rise as he cried out in rage, "Forget the super effective attack, Silvally! Finish this with a Slash instead!"

Upon issuing the new command, Silvally came back to its senses. It charged recklessly towards Persian, and although its claws no longer glowed with the light of its signature move, it delivered a powerful blow that struck the cat directly in the face. However, Persian did not succumb to the attack; its Ability combined with its heightened defenses allowed it to survive the neutral hit. Persian turned its eyes back on its attacker with a menacing glare, and Silvally faltered slightly.

"Persian, Iron Tail," Nanu commanded quietly.

Persian's tail glowed with a white light, as it turned its body and struck Silvally with full force. The chimeric Pokémon was not ready to take a super effective attack at such close range, and was dealt a critical hit. Silvally soared through the air, landing with a loud wet thud in front of its Trainer.

"We… lost…" Gladion muttered, cradling his head in his hands and falling to his knees.

Nanu returned his tired Persian to its Ultra Ball and walked over to the boy. Gladion remained kneeling on the cold wet ground, his head in his hands.

"C'mon now, up you get," Nanu said, extending his arm for Gladion to take. "Nobody's likes a crybaby."

Gladion scowled behind his hands, but allowed himself to be helped up by Nanu. He returned Silvally to its Poké Ball and put his hand to his temple again.

"We lost," Gladion repeated morosely. "All those days that we struggled to get stronger… Was it all for nothing? Is that it?"

Nanu shook his head. "Just because you lose doesn't mean you're not strong," he said. "You learn a lot from losing, you know... It helps you see how to get stronger."

Gladion closed his eyes and considered Nanu's words. Finally, his mouth stretched into a smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he admitted.

"Now let's do ourselves a favour and get out of this rain," Nanu insisted, as the two of them made their way back to Po Town's entrance. They had barely made it five steps when they saw a young girl with purple hair and a tattered dress running towards them.

"Uncle Nanu!" the girl called cheerily.

"Why am I getting a feeling of déjà vu?" Nanu asked, exasperated. The girl stopped in front of the two Trainers, and her eyes met Gladion.

"Alola, Gladion!" she said, waving one of her hands in a customary greeting.

"Hello, Acerola," Gladion responded. The girl name Acerola smiled, then turned back to Nanu with a scowl on her face and her hands on her hips.

"I've been looking everywhere for you!" she scolded. "What are you doing here in Po Town?"

"Just checking up on the old Team Skull haunt," Nanu answered.

The scowl on Acerola's face evaporated and was replaced by a cheery smile. "That's just like you, isn't it, Uncle?" she trilled happily. "Keeping an eye out for Team Skull in case they try to cause trouble again! Why else would you be in a place like this?"

Nanu shrugged. "I need a bigger house," he said simply.

Acerola shook her head disbelievingly. "That's what you say, Uncle, but I know deep down you're just a big softie!"

Acerola smiled again as Nanu rolled his eyes. Gladion looked back and forth between the two of them, slightly amused.

"Always with the noise from you," Nanu said irritably. "Why were you even looking for me in the first place?"

Acerola's smile faded and she gasped. "Oh, that's right!" she said. "The other Kahunas sent me to come find you!"

"I must have missed another meeting," Nanu sighed. "No doubt I'll be punished _again…_ "

Acerola shook her head vigorously. "No no," she said, "That's not it at all! Hapu said she found something suspicious at the alter on Poni Island!"

Nanu's eyes narrowed. "Suspicious? What do you mean, 'suspicious?'"

Acerola scrunched up her face in concentration. "I think she said something about strange glowing cracks appearing on the altar?" she said, somewhat uncertain.

Nanu remained silent, but he turned to Gladion, whose eyes were wide with trepidation.

"You don't suppose it could be..?" he started to ask Nanu.

"There's only one way to find out," the old man said as he headed southward at a brisk pace, the other two following closely behind. Nanu had experienced glowing white fissures several times before, and he had never liked what emerged from their depths.


End file.
